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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211433">echo in the hills</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/paopuleaf/pseuds/paopuleaf'>paopuleaf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Blaseball (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bandages, Drabble, Gen, Mentions of Tax Fraud, Post-S10 Ascension, being vulnerable because you won't remember it but maybe its okay if you do anyway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 12:02:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>392</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/paopuleaf/pseuds/paopuleaf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>arturo helps tot do hir bandages in the morning after luis ascends. ze appreciates it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tot Clark &amp; Arturo Huerta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>echo in the hills</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this hc is near and dear to my heart</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>it's a quiet morning, like most mornings. tot gets up from hir bed and shuffles through hir bedside drawer until ze finds the roll of bandages, stands in front of the mirror in the bathroom and doesn't do anything at all. the edge of the roll feels worn in hir hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"tot?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>arturo, right. ze doesn't have to do this alone. it's not a new revelation, but it aches like it always does, like ze always remembers it doing now that arturo's in hir line of sight. "hey." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"you should write a sticky note or something." they don't meet hir eyes, not out of any sort of rudeness, but out of respect - one of the things they agreed to, when they both started this. tot shifts, settling on the edge of the bathtub, and arturo slips further inside the bathroom. keeps talking. "'hey, self, i don't need to worry about bandages until after breakfast,' or something."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"maybe." they both know tot'll forget the minute they leave. arturo sits on the bathmat and grabs the bandages from hir hands, beginning with steady hands. tot waits until ze knows ze won't interrupt to speak again. "how're you and teddy doing?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"oh, you know, mostly the same. teddy almost hit me with a bat while i was looking for monopoly in the closet, he apologized, we watched a movie. it's almost tax season."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"tax fraud season," tot deadpans, and arturo grins. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"got it in one."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>ze hums, low, and arturo stays quiet, focused. their work has gotten better over the years of the siesta, and tot can say easily that ze appreciates it. the comfort that settles over hir shoulders when the bandages are on replaces the tension. "you sure you don't mind doing this?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"would've told you before if i did, tot."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>it's an exchange they have every time. tot will ask again, and the answer will be the same. the bandages will be done, and ze won't remember until the next time ze sees arturo, and ze won't feel guilty, because ze's had years to get used to it, and they don't mind, but ze'll thank them anyway.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>but for right now, tot simply sits on the edge of the bathtub, and arturo wraps the bandages around hir skin, fingers staining the fabric with faint traces of spraypaint, and it is quiet. content.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>[lays on the wrigen carpet at 1:24 am and pretends like i'm not constantly emotional about post-ascension tot clark]<br/>you can find me on tumblr @ catboydeicide, on twitter @ ghostcatboys, and in the crabitat's very own writing-general, sitting on the carpet trying to feel something<br/>thank you to the big garage for introducing me to this headcanon !! it rules</p></blockquote></div></div>
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